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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League log leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars have no intentions to go to the market when the mid-season transfer window opens next month.
Instead, coach Takesure Chiragwi is looking at promoting a couple of youngsters from the team’s developmental side, Ngezi Platinum Under-19, which compete in the ZIFA Northern Region Division One Soccer League.
It is the players from Ngezi Platinum Under-19 team who have been steering the Mhondoro team in what has been a good season so far this term.
Chiragwi has invested so much faith in young blood with Leslie Kashitigu, Tinotenda Murasiranwa, Takunda Benhura and Walter Vuwa proving their mettle in the senior team’s colours.
So good has been the quartet that they have contributed about 70 percent of the 18 goals the miners have scored this season.
Kashitigu has been playing the anchor role with distinction partnering either Marvellous Mukumba or Marlon Mushonga, and at times Edwin Madhanaga, while Benhura, Vuwa and Murasiranwa have been regular starters upfront.
And with the energy brought about by the young players in the team, Ngezi Platinum have been difficult to play against, with only Chicken Inn having found a way to collect the maximum points against them in 12 games.
While other teams are busy scouring for players to galvanise their teams in the mid-season window, Chiragwi already knows which youngsters he will promote from the team’s feeder club.
“Look, as Ngezi Platinum Stars, we don’t have any intention to bring someone from outside to strengthen our squad in the mid-season window.
“At the moment, we are looking at promoting some of our youngsters who have been performing well in the Northern Region Soccer League with our development side Ngezi Platinum Under-19,” said Chiragwi.
“We have already experimented with five or so players in the senior team. The experiment has worked wonders so far with those youngsters commanding starting berths in the team. In fact, they are doing extremely well and the hope is they continue improving in all aspects of their game.
“So this window period, we are aiming at promoting more. Unless something happens, the idea is to maintain our team as it is with the only additions being our youngsters from the development side.
“I am not ruling out taking a senior player from somewhere else but for now, we don’t have any intention of adding someone else from outside our development system.
“So far so good this season and the youngsters have given us reason to believe that we are on the right track hence looking to add even more in the team”.
Chiragwi said the season has been one of the most competitive in recent years with a marginal points difference separating the top eight.
“This has been a very competitive season so far. Every team wants to play and the passion has been massive. We need to keep our feet on the ground and see how we can play better than our opponents but the secret lies in taking each game as it comes”.
Online Reporter